Lautaro Martínez Double Ensures Inter on Tail of Leaders
Inter striker Lautaro Martínez netted a second-half brace to earn his side a 2-0 win at Pisa, keeping the visitors firmly involved in the Serie A championship battle in spite of a less than convincing performance.
League Table Update
Under manager Cristian Chivu, Inter currently sit third in the standings with 27 points total, level with second-placed Roma and just one point behind leaders Milan. In contrast, Pisa hold the third bottom position with 10 points.
Match Recap
Inter arrived in Tuscany looking to get back on track after enduring a derby defeat by Milan recently, which was followed by a Champions League loss at Atlético Madrid. However, they were forced to fight all the way by promoted Pisa. The home team created plenty of opportunities, but a clinical Inter broke the deadlock in the 69th minute when Argentinian Martínez smacked a one-time shot into the top of the net. The attacker then tapped in from point-blank with seven minutes remaining.
Inter’s capacity to convert even with difficult circumstances proved crucial in securing the victory.
Other European Action
In Spain, Real Sociedad mounted a thrilling fightback from 2-0 down to equalize at home against Villarreal, only to lose to a late strike five minutes into stoppage time. Villarreal’s scoring came from Ayoze Pérez shortly after the 30-minute mark and Alberto Moleiro in the 57th minute, but Carlos Soler soon reduced the deficit and Ander Barrenetxea equalised three minutes from time. However, Moleiro had the final say deep into stoppage time.
In the late La Liga match, Real Madrid journey to Girona requiring a win to go back to the top ahead of Barcelona, who secured a 3-1 win over Alavés on Saturday.
- The Nerazzurri stay in close contention for the Serie A crown.
- Martínez demonstrated his worth with a match-winning display.
- The battle for first continues with multiple clubs in the mix.
